Search Operation for Malaysian Airlines Aircraft MH 370 Suspended

India has deployed numerous assets of the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard to search for the missing Malaysian Airlines aircraft MH 370.

A total of six aircraft and six ships with their integral helicopters from the Tri-services Andaman & Nicobar Command, the Eastern Naval Command, the IAF and the Indian Coast Guard were deployed which have combed the designated search areas spanning across the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

Additional naval assets from the ENC were kept standby for immediate deployment.

Indian Navy, as the lead service, continues to maintain active coordination with the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force from its Maritime Operations Centre at New Delhi which is being manned on a 24X7 basis.

So far no sighting or detection has been reported by the units deployed for searches in various designated areas.

The Malaysian authorities have now indicated that based on investigation, the search operations have entered a new phase and a strategy for further searches is being formulated. Accordingly, search operations have been suspended and all Indian assets earmarked for SAR operations have been placed on Standby.